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Clackamas Print 5
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
■ace-Off: What is the worth of TV?
JV is the foundation ypon Television is cause of the dis-
vhich this nation stands
jess Sheppard
The Clackamas Print
Mention TV and there’s always someone
the room who groans and spouts an anti-
i sentiment.
Obviously, that anti-TV person has con-
niently forgotten all the good things that
levision has done for him or her.
What happened to the entire family watch-
i classic shows like Perry Mason, Murder
e Wrote and The Twilight Zonel Those
ere hours when everyone could be engaged
something as a whole.
And what about those very educational
annels that unfortunately can only be found
cable, such as the Discovery Channel
d Animal Planet? If nothing interesting is
ppening on either of those stations, then it
ist be because it’s a re-run.
On the other hand, there is always the
story Channel. Whether it’s a tour of
iankh-amen’s tomb, or a documentary on
rial killers, or even a special on the life-
cle of squid, there is always something to
im.
Consider, also, how often teachers will
ggest watching a particular program. And
isn’t just history teachers; instructors in
jlogy, religious studies and theatre arts do
too.
Even movies have something to teach us.
tors see examples, both good and bad,
the techniques they are being taught. A
ident studying religion could spend hours
ilyzing the ways of the Jedi.
Instructors in Clackamas’ Criminal Justice
partment even have their students watch
¡vies about serial killers and have them
ifilethq murderers. _
?
.
At the Vefy least; in the everit ofra z6mi^
i uprising, there are those among us who
mid know exactly what to do. You know
o you are.
Let us also not overlook video games, for
y are often played on the TV and sit right
Kt to it in the category of things on which
d stuff is blamed. Games encourage prob-
n-solving, strategy and planning ahead.
Even God of War fans are getting a sub-
linal lesson in mythology as they hack
and slash through the monsters of legend.
On the reverse, those who watched that
History Channel documentary on Greek
Mythology already know that to kill a
hydra, you must kill the primary head.
You will know it because it’s the one that
has the same roar as the Spinosaurus in
Jurassic Park 3.
Which brings up another point: Who
doesn’t admire the person at the lunch
table who can name that sound effect? Or
the one guy with whom you go to see an
animated movie because he can recognize
the voice of James Earl Jones, even if he is
a cartoon lion or in a huge, black suit. That
person gains respect in the geek commu
nity and always has an interesting bit of
information to brighten your day.'
And of course, we have the news. It
keeps us in the know on the status of dip
lomatic relations and warns us of danger
ous happenings in our area of residence.
It even tracks’ our sports
teams and stocks for us.
Certainly, everyone can
appreciate the usefulness
of the news, even if it
isn’t always educational.
But if it’s education
you’re set on, there is
always OPB. While their
cartoons may be overly
childish, their documen
taries give Discovery
Channel a run for its
money. Even during the
Winter Olympics, when
all the other channels
are only covering the
sports, OPB would rath-
,er play a program on the
Nuremberg Trials or the
plight of women forced
into prostitution.
So, the next time that
TV-Nazi at the next table
opens his or her mouth
against the tube, chal
lenge him or her to admit
Illustration by Andrea
how much of his or her
knowledge was learned
from a TV screen.
combobulation of America
Ben Caldwell
The Clackamas Print
TV is the worst thing ever invent
ed.
Its flashing lights keep people
drawn in. That is why I don’t under
stand people who say it is educa
tional - it’s not.
The attention-span that most mod
ern people have is so short that it is
hard for them to have a regular con
versation with someone. The con
stantly-changing, flashing light that
the television puts off causes this,
because people have sat in front of a
TV ever since infanthood.
When our parents’ generation
started watching TV, it was a miracle
invention designed to bring the world
into your living room. Television
programming
was
geared
towards adults
and contained
generally good
information.
TV
in
today’s world
is aimed at
the younger
generation.
Producers fig
ure, “Hey we
already
got
some 300 mil
lion
people
hooked; let’s
get their kids,
too.
The thing
that gets to me
most is that
parents
put
their children
in front of the
damned thing
just to keep
Simpson Clackamas Print
them
quiet.
That is not
parenting.
Parents just plop the kids down and
leave them to their own devices. They
have no idea what their kids are watch
ing. Then, they wonder why little
Johnny is running around the house
beating the cat.
That sort of behavior is why the
American populous is so freaking fat -
oh, I am sorry - “morbidly obese.” It’s
not just the constantly-changing lights
and scenes that make TV bad; it is also
the stupid people who are broadcast
directly into your living room.
However, not all television is bad.
There are some rather interesting doc
umentaries, but the consistency of bad
programming is just making people
dumber. It is a self-perpetuating prob
lem because the TV makes such a
wonderful babysitter and a great com
panion for the elderly.
Television is taking our ability to
think for ourselves from us and replac
ing it with a hive mind. TV is the Borg;
it assimilates you, then destroys the
individual in you and replaces it with a
sheep that will do as it’s told. Tune in
at 6 p.m. for all new episodes.
The hive mind in today’s society is
brought about by one thing and one
thing only: TV. People tune in to get
the most up-to-date opinion that every
body needs to share.
TV ... educational - yeah, that’s
some B.S. If television was educa
tional, it would be restricted to PBS
and the History Channel.
Media corporations won’t do that.
They can’t do that. If they did, they
would lose money. Everyone knows
money is the root of all evil, and TV is
a very evil thing.
Families who watch television
together aren’t really spending any
real time together; they just happen
to be occupying the same room at the
same time. TV breaks down family ties
and degrades the moral fiber of our
country.
To say TV is educational is to say
Hitler had the right idea - it is just
plain wrong.
Mingo mokes more movie mogie
Jess Sheppard
The Clackamas Print
Instructor Andy Mingo is
very excited about his upcom
ing film, The Iconographer.
It is his first feature-length
film.
Mingo not only wrote the
script; he is also producer and
director.
The Iconographer tells the
story of two brothers, and is set
primarily in their father’s liquor
shop. One brother has just lost
his job as an icon-broker, and
the other is deeply distraught
over his recent divorce. The
first brother then takes it upon
himself to “fix” his flawed sib
ling.
Essentially, he turns his
brother into a replica of him
self.
His attempts, however, do
not go as planned, and in a
cruel twist of irony, he ends
up permanently destroying his
brother’s life. The movie is
very much about identity, with
delicious tones of irony laced
into it.
The film is still in prepro
duction. Most of the parts have
been cast, and several of the
locations have been selected,
though the role of one of the
brothers is unfilled and a loca
tion for the film’s liquor store
is still being scouted. Mingo
and his crew plan to rent a
shop space and turn it into a
temporary liquor store. They
are already hard at work saving
up bottles.
The actual filming is esti
mated to be finished by this
September, anticipating time
for major delays. Mingo is
shooting for completion by
spring of next year.
In addition to Mingo, sev
MINGO
eral Clackamas students are
involved in the film. Heather
Jacobs is assistant director, and
Jake Johnson is the director of
photography. Many other local
actors and technicians are also
involved.
Mingo was initially inspired
by a liquor store in Reno in
which he worked during his
younger years. The store was
owned by his best friend’s
parents, who were “absolutely
crazy.”
“I wanted to tell a grand
story on a small scale,” he said,
and a liquor store seemed like
an ideal place to set it. A good
liquor store is “commonplace
on a grand scale.”
Before The Iconographer,
Mingo worked on six individu
al short films. These short films
can all be accessed on www.
chiasmusmedia.net, a Web site
that publishes, distributes and
produces films by thought-pro
voking artists who like to be
outside-the-box.
Mingo’s first films were
experimental in nature. Then,
he switched to a more dramatic
style, particularly with his lat
est short, titled Bravo America.
“Each one was a step toward
Iconographer," he said.
Design and Construction
Begin with the end in mind
sps.georgefox.edu • 888-888-0178
Degree completion programs for working adults
Information meetings
at 6:30 p.m.
June 28
George Fox Portland Center
12753 S.W. 68th Ave., Portland
June 5
Providence Medical Plaza
3510 NE 122nd, Ste. 200, Portland
G eorge F ox
SCHOOL OF
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
a matter of mind
and spirit